Arch-support



,0. RITZ.

ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8. Isis.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

12u A TToR/vf y silient arched unire stares CHARLES RITZ, 0F RCI-IETER, YGRK.

, .Anon-SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern: f Be it lrnown that l, (li-remue Eirrz, c1t1- ren oi" the United States, residing at Bochcsteig'in the county of ll/lonroa'tate of New York, have invented certain new `and useful improvements in rlrclrSupports; and I do declare the following` tobe a full, clear,and exact description or the same, taken in .connection with the accompanying crawings, forming a part or this specification. p

illy invention. relates to arch supports, more particularly to the class of arch supports which are worn in the shoe to relieve the effect of brolren or 'fallen foot arches. The object of my invention is to provide an arch of this hind which comprises a support or" comparatively rigid fibrous material rein- .lorced by means of single spring` or metal strrpsecurml to` the underside of the support.` Janother ob3ect ct' my invention is to provide an arch supportwith means .for adjusting' the same to arches ol different heurhts.` A. further object ofiny invention lis to provide an arch supportfcornprislng a support of :librous material reinforced by Ymeans oil ametallic plate comprisingtwo parteV adjustable to vary the height or the arch.

More specifically the object of myinvenion is to provide an arch support comprising; an arched supporting member orhardcned leather' or other suitable hard resilicntmaterial, reinforced by means or a replate comprising` two parts each haring an enlarged end secured to the supporting member with the free ends overlai'nping each other and means forV adjusting said parts relatively to'eaoh other Jfor increasing or diminishing the curvature of the arch.

To these and other ends, my invention resides in the arrangement and combination or parts illustrated in theV accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claimsV ln the drawings:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan View oit arch support constructed in accordance with my invention.

2 is a side elevation of the same.

3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing; thn devices for adjusting the reinforcing plate.

Specification of Letters Patent. 1 Patnted N0 9 1g20 Application sied June is, 1.919. sensu No. 305,036.

y Fig. 4; is a 4longitudinal central `section of the devices shown in 1Eig. 3 and Fig. 5 is an enlarged View showing a detail.

Similar reference` characters refer to the same parts in all theigures of the drawinofs.VV

'ii/ly improvedarch comprises a supporting member 1 or fibrous "or other suitable material arched as at 1? and adapted to `be worn in a shoe in Contact with the sole of the foot cie the patient. The member l is preferably maple or" sole leather, hardened but retaining some resilient properties. However, other hard resilient material may beV substitutec'l 'therefor without `departing from the spirit or scope or myinvention.

The supporting member or arch 1 is rein- I forced by'means of a resilientinetallic plate 2 riveted or otherwise suitably secured thereto. The plate 2 has enlarged ends 3 Vand l which are engagedby tl'refsecuring means andV the forward one' 4 or' which serves to support the metatarsus ol the' foot.

The reintoiicing'V member 2 is arohedto con-` form to the arch or" the supporting member l and contacts therewith. V

.sin arch constructed as above described, is economical Vto make, eiicient in use and will relieve the effects ot fallen orbrolren arches. l have found however, thatV the height of arch required, varies with difierent patients,V and hare therefore devised means for varying the height of the arch to the requirements of the patient or for readjusting the same if-the height of the arch becomes too low through use. For this purpose, I construct the reinforcing plate 2 of two parts 5 and 6 which overlap each other at their free ends as at 7. i

Theend of the lpart 5 is turned outwardly to provide ay rianne or shoulder 8l and the end of the part 6 is similarly turned inwardly to providefa similar flange or shoul der 9 and each of the flanges or'shoulders 8 and 9 is provided with a tooth or projection 10 Vfor a purpose presently to be described. The overlapping parts ofthe members 5 and 6 are provided with longitudinal slots 11 andV l2 in which is rotatably and slid` ably mounted the pivot or shaft 13 of a cam i member 14 is serrated or notched as at 15 and these notches are adapted to cooperate with the teeth or projections on the flanges 8 and 9. The shaft or pivot 13v eX'- tends through the parts V5 and Gpwhere itis provided with the thrust bearings 16 and 17 and at its outer end may be provided with means 18 whereby the pivot 13 andA the cam 141 secured thereto may .be Vadjusted by means of a tool. The form ofthe notches is such that when thefcam lisrotated the projections 10 readily slip over the vintermediate teeth. The resiliency of the parts readily maintains the projections 10 in engagement with the notches 15. In Fig. 3

the parts are shown in that position of adjustment in vwhich kthe arch occupies the lowest position.` When the camld is turned from the position shown in Fig. v3 tothat shown in `Fig. 1 tliepartsaiid 6 nieve toward each other with the effectfof raising the height ofthe arch, the engagementof Y the projection 10 with the serrations on the 1. An arch support comprising an arched supporting` membeigjand a reinforcing mem'- ber therefor said reinforcinv member coma .ze A prising `two parts each Vseciired to the supporting vmember and a rotatable member for moving said parts relatively` to each other. l Y

2., AnV arch support comprising` an arched supporting member', and a reinforcing member therefor said `reinforcing meinberhcomprising two' partsfeach secured tothe supporting member and, overlapping eachother at' their freeends andpivoted means env i 1,358,018V Y a 4,. An arch support comprising an arched supporting member, and a reinforcing member therefor, said reinforcing member comprising two parts having overlapping portions provided withl toothed projections and rotatable means cooperating with vsaid projections and adapted to adjust said parts relatively to each other. l Y. A

5. in arch support comprising an arched supporting member, and a reinforcing member therefor, said reinforcing member comprising two parts, having overlapping por tions provided with opposedV flanges, a cam rotatable between said flanges, and inter-r locking means between said cam and flanges. 6. An arch support comprising an arched supporting member, and a reinforcing member therefor, saidV reinforcing member comprising. two parte having slotted overlaps ping portions and opposed flanges, and a cam between said flanges mounted on a pivot projecting into said slots.` Y

Y 7. An arch support comprising an arched supporting member, and a reinforcing member therefor, said reinforcing member com-l prising'two parts, having slotted ,overlapd1 ping portions and'V opposed flanges, a caml between said flanges mounted on a pivot projecting into said slots, and means adapted tol be engagedY by a tool for rotating said cam for moving said parts Y relatively to each other.

cHARLEsiairz; 

